The present invention relates to an exercise device, and in particular a wheeled exercise device.
There are numerous exercises which an individual may practice to strengthen muscles and maintain muscle tone. One kind of exercise device involves handrollers which are rolled across a floor. In some of these types of devices, the user supports his weight on the rollers while performing the exercise. Exemplary of these types of devices are Landers, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,643,162 and Abbott, U.S. Pat. No. 4,171,805. These particular exercise devices employ tracks for guiding the motion of the handrollers. Another type of exercise device is disclosed in Barbeau, U.S. Pat. No. 2,821,394, which discloses a handroller having an internal spring to provide resistance to rotation of the handroller. However, these types of devices are limited to particular types of exercises, particularly those involved with rolling the handrollers across a surface.
Another type of rolling exercise device comprises a wheel having a pair of handles on opposite sides of the wheel. Such devices are disclosed in Ott, U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,475 and Mattox, U.S. Pat. No. 5,261,866. These types of devices are limited to a particular kind of exercise, namely one involving rolling the wheel backwards and forwards while the user moves from a kneeling or crouched position to an extended position, and then returning to the kneeling or crouched position.
What is desired is an exercise device that allows a user to perform a variety of exercises, including exercises involving the use of a wheeled device capable of supporting the user""s body, that also allows the user to perform other exercises, that is capable of providing various degrees of resistance to movement, that allows a user to isolate particular muscle groups, and which is easy to adjust to accommodate users of different sizes.
The present invention overcomes the aforesaid drawbacks of the prior art by providing an exercise device that allows a user to perform a variety of exercises including those involving use of a handroller.
In one aspect of the invention, an exercise device has an elongate, substantially rigid pad. The exercise device also includes a pair of handrollers, each handroller comprising a handgrip supported between a pair of wheels. The device also includes a pair of stretchable tensioning members. Each of the tensioning members interconnects a respective one of the pair of handrollers and the pad.
In another aspect of the invention, an exercise device is provided having an elongate, substantially rigid pad. The device includes a pair of handrollers, each handroller comprising a handgrip supported between a pair of wheels. The device has a pair of stretchable tensioning members, each of the tensioning members interconnecting a respective one of the pair of handrollers in the pad. A fastening mechanism is operably connected to each tensioning member, the fastening mechanism comprised of a pair of wheels, each one of the pair of wheels being coupled to a respective biasing mechanism.
Yet another aspect of the invention provides a method for performing an exercise. An elongate substantially rigid pad is provided. In addition, a pair of handrollers is provided, each handroller comprising a handgrip supported between a pair of wheels. A pair of stretchable tensioning members is provided, and each of the tensioning members is interconnected with a respective one of the pair of handrollers and the pad. The handrollers are grasped, and at least one of the handrollers is moved away from the pad.
The invention provides several advantages over other wheeled exercise devices. The invention allows a user to engage in a variety of exercises. The user may perform those exercises involving the use of a handroller. However, the user may also perform a variety of other exercises by pushing or pulling the handroller away from the pad, without necessarily rolling the handroller along the floor. Because the invention provides a pair of handrollers, different muscles groups may be exercised at different times, allowing the user to isolate the desired muscle groups.
The foregoing and other objectives, features and advantages of the invention will be more readily understood upon consideration of the following detailed description of the invention, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.